Reducing Carbon & Energy Bills

Reducing carbon emissions and energy bills is not only essential for environmental sustainability but also for improving the long-term economic viability of buildings and developments.

At Futura Bright, we offer a range of tailored services to help architects and developers minimise carbon footprints and optimise energy efficiency.

Our team of energy specialists offer expert guidance and support throughout the carbon and energy reduction process.

We’ll tailor our services to the unique needs and goals of each client, delivering personalised recommendations and solutions that maximise energy savings and carbon reductions.

Our services are designed to help improve the financial performance and value of their buildings and developments.

By reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption, our solutions contribute to a more sustainable built environment and help mitigate climate change.

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Services provided:

Air leakage testing is a mandatory requirement for all new developments, encompassing both residential and non-residential buildings, to align with the standards set by Building Regulations.

Our experienced and accredited assessors conduct comprehensive leakage testing to assist you in:
  • Ensuring airtight, energy-efficient properties
  • Adhering to program timelines
  • Delivering comfortable, compliant developments
  • Fulfilling updated regulatory requirements Regulations.
Recent updates to Approved Document Part L (AD-L) aim to optimise energy use in buildings. This includes establishing a new minimum standard for airtightness, mandating testing on all new dwellings in England and Wales. An alternative testing method, pulse testing, is also introduced.

Air leakage testing ensures a new property is airtight and compliant before completion.

This service is provided by a trusted partner.

A circular economy (CE) is achieved by keeping materials in use for as long as possible, before reusing or recycling them. The goal is to create minimal waste, instead retaining the value of resources. In construction, this is achievable in how buildings are designed, built, operated, maintained, and replaced.

A statement is required for all major developments across London (and increasingly LPA’s outside of London). It must be submitted with a planning application, as part of policy SI7 of the London Plan. The statement’s principles must then be adopted throughout the design and construction process.

A circular economy assessment helps developers to embed sustainable practice to deliver long-term benefits from building materials and their usage.

We’ll help you to:

  • Develop sustainable designs
  • Maximise resource efficiency
  • Deliver flexible buildings
  • Minimise waste

Conducting overheating analysis using Dynamic Thermal Modelling (DTM) is a crucial step prior to planning. Whilst this has been a consideration within London for major developments for many years, the impact of the implementation of this policy is now nationwide.

Whilst a simplified approach is possible, this may not always suit bespoke designs which incorporate large quantities of glazing, and can in some cases be restrictive to the overall design process. Dynamic modelling provides a precise evaluation of overheating risk, generating customised results and recommendations for compliance.

Referencing CIBSE TM59 methodology, Building Regulations Part O incorporates other considerations which need to be balanced within the buildings overall design including security, safety, and any mechanical ventilation system.

The DTM process reviews building materials, thermal mass, local shading, local weather data, building occupancy, and employs approaches to limit solar gains and eliminate excess heat.

Our experienced overheating modellers assist developers in completing comprehensive assessments, offering specialised guidance to comply with new Building Regulations and London Plan policy.

We’ll support you to:

  • Assess and mitigate overheating risk
  • Understand associated costs
  • Develop coordinated solutions
  • Deliver comfortable, energy-efficient spaces
Recent updates to the Building Regulations, especially for residential dwellings, has resulted in a stronger focus being placed on the measurement of thermal bridging. This process identifies potential ‘breaks’ in building insulation that can contribute to additional heat losses, which need to then be accounted for within the wider thermal modelling for the site, through SAP calculations.

Thermal bridging is a crucial aspect of SAP assessments and, whilst not compulsory for new residential developments under building regulations can significantly improve the modelled performance and EPC rating, resulting in less additional improvements being placed elsewhere, potentially reducing costs.

Thorough analysis is necessary to ensure the creation of comfortable, energy-efficient properties, and team of building performance specialists collaborates with developers and designers to formulate customised thermal bridging values, showcasing compliance and delivering efficient properties and projects.

We’re here to help you:
  • Assess and minimise heat loss through building fabric junctions
  • Generate personalised thermal bridging values
  • Enhance overall energy performance
  • Explore opportunities for specification value engineering
  • Satisfy warranty or Building Control regulatory requirements

Thermographic surveys empower developers to evaluate, substantiate, and enhance a building’s thermal integrity. Whilst not mandatory, these assessments serve as valuable indicators of build quality and energy performance for both new and existing properties, potentially contributing to BREEAM credits.

The assessment involves measuring the interior and exterior surface temperatures of a building to pinpoint areas of heat loss, thermal anomalies, or potential air leakage.

We’ll assist you in appraising the thermal integrity of your building through a thermographic survey, helping you to:

  • Substantiate thermal integrity and build quality
  • Identify opportunities for improvements or rectify defects
  • Potentially secure BREEAM credits

Achieving carbon-efficient developments requires a comprehensive understanding of a buildings’ actual operational energy performance.

While Part L calculations and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) offer insights into a building’s anticipated performance, there is a recognised ‘performance gap’ between design intent and real-world usage.

CIBSE TM54, titled ‘Evaluating Operational Energy Use at the Design Stage,’ aims to address this gap by employing dynamic simulation modelling. This approach considers the complexities and variations in energy use over time, the interactions between different elements of a building, as well as the additional energy used by unregulated systems which is becoming an increasing contributor to overall energy use and emissions.

At Futura Bright, we utilise dynamic simulation modelling to assess operational energy consumption and energy performance, providing valuable insights for carbon reduction. 

We are here to assist you in:

  • Bridging the ‘performance gap’
  • Fulfilling planning policy or end-client requirements
  • Informing and refining energy consumption targets
  • Understanding the actual operational energy performance
  • Gaining an accurate representation of an existing buildings and assisting you in building a decarbonisation plan to help manage your assets into the future.